A silver medal and three bronze medals in the Chemistry Olympiad - for the Israeli team that graduated from the Technion

The Olympics were held in Washington with the participation of 72 teams from all over the world. The silver medal went to Tsuf Shay Peled from the Experimental School in Mesgav, who won a bronze medal last year, and the bronze medal went to Nadav Orion from Ben-Gurion High School in Emek Hefer, Uri Teichman from Mikif C in Ashdod and Michael Leitzin from Leo Beck High School in Haifa.

The Olympics were held in Washington with the participation of 72 teams from all over the world. The silver medal went to Tsuf Shay Peled from the Experimental School in Mesgav, who won a bronze medal last year, and the bronze medal went to Nadav Orion from Ben-Gurion High School in Emek Hefer, Uri Teichman from Mikif C in Ashdod and Michael Leitzin from Leo Beck High School in Haifa.

The International Olympics have been held for 45 years, and Israel is participating in it for the seventh year in a row. Since she began participating, members of the Israeli delegations have won medals and certificates of excellence every year, but this is the first time that all four representatives have returned with medals. The Technion's chemistry faculty is responsible and entrusted with all stages of selecting the participants and preparing them for the competitions, including theoretical preparation that takes place in the Technion's laboratories and a concentrated training camp designed to improve the students' performance in preparation for the competition.

Prof. Zeev Gross from the Faculty of Chemistry at the Technion tells about the Olympics: "Each country is entitled to send four representatives to the International Olympics. It lasts two days, which are divided into one day of a practical test and another day of theoretical tests, and in between the participants enjoy activities and trips in the area. The outstanding countries are usually the countries of the Far East. This year Korea excelled in particular. The graduates of the Olympics, some of whom serve as instructors today, said that winning a medal was for them an entrance ticket to the best universities in the world. There are countries that announce that the winners can be automatically admitted to any university without exams, and so it is with us at the Technion."

The members of the delegation were accompanied to Washington by Prof. Zeev Gross, the academic responsible for the "Chemistry" from which the four outstanding representatives are selected, and the director of the chemistry teaching laboratories at the Technion, Dr. Iris Barzilai. Dr. Irina Sokolentz coached and prepared the students for the competition. Dr. Sokolentz herself has participated in many chemistry olympiads since her time in the USSR.